


it suits you

by BottomDeathstroke



Series: Black Hat tries to be Nice (TM) [6]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Adoption, Brother-Brother Relationships, Domestic Fluff, Dysfunctional Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Non-Sexual Age Play, Past Child Abuse, Platonic Relationships, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, i don't have a lot of tags that apply, it's just a happy one guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 09:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18206519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomDeathstroke/pseuds/BottomDeathstroke
Summary: While visiting with his older brother, Flug is asked if he has a civilian name. He admits that he doesn't, leading Slug to begin pestering him into having a “normal name” for when he isn't working. Flug isn't that interested, but Black Hat sure as hell isn't going to let it go anytime soon. Everyone, meet Black Hat’s son; he named him himself!





	it suits you

**Author's Note:**

> I was honestly considering taking a break for awhile after finishing “they don’t love you like I love you”, but with the release of (possibly) Flug’s first name… y’all, I had to. ((BTW, let me know if y’all want a break from the Heroic crew after this one… I know this series started only with the Villainous crew, and I don’t wanna shove too much Heroic down your throats if you don’t want it.))
> 
> ((Edited on July 6th, 2019. Kenning is such a cool name... if I was less shameful I'd Absolutely rename myself Kenning.))

They try to get back to normal. To be entirely fair, no one in either house knows what it truly means to be, well, _normal._ The responsibility ends up falling on Flug and Slug’s shoulders within a few days, not that they mind. If anything, they’re excited to begin planning out their schedules around each other. It takes a bit of debating, but eventually, everyone agrees to a compromise; whenever White Hat needs to visit Black Hat for business (as they need to figure out how to get along without running their organizations into the ground), he’ll bring Slug, and it’s up to the age-sliders to figure out whether or not they want to be in a younger headspace for the visit. So far, they’ve kept from age-sliding, but today… well, they thought they’d give it a try.

It’s… a _bit_ awkward. Okay, no, it’s a _lot_ awkward. Even if Slug is more experienced with age-sliding and how it occurs, being able to keep himself from sliding if need be, he still isn’t used to having a _‘playmate’_ around, much less sliding in front of his baby brother. And Flug, while he’s ecstatic to reunite with his brother, can’t really keep himself from sliding. More than once now during scheduled _‘adult’_ visits, Flug has slipped, leaving Slug to just grin and bear it. But this time, it looks like they’ve both managed to slide without much fuss. Seeing as this is the case, Black Hat and White Hat decide to stay in the same room as their sons while they talk, if only to keep a careful eye on them… lord knows neither demon wants to find out what mischief the kids are capable of when working together.

Somewhere along the way, Slug and Flug start talking. It starts outrageously simple at first- what did you have for breakfast this morning? What are you working on invention wise? Is your dad doing alright?- but it quickly morphs into a more… _complex_ conversation. Not so complex that they’re completely out of their little headspaces, but enough so that they’re a bit more aware and beginning to get off the slide. All while this occurs, the two of them work away on a Lego set, having decided that it would be fun to build something together. They never really had access to kids toys when they were children, always given books for entertainment instead, but now that they’re allowed to be kids again… let’s just say that when White Hat found out, he went a bit overboard in the gift department.

“A red one, bro, not a blue one,” Slug says, shaking his head at the piece Flug tries handing him. After rummaging around, Flug hands him the correct piece, and the older brother smirks, ruffling Flug’s bag in appreciation. “Thata boy!”

“‘M not a dog!” Flug insists, though he secretly melts at the praise; it’s no secret that even a little bit of positive reinforcement puts him over the moon, but in a younger headspace it’s ten times more impactful. “So what next?”

“Oh, uh…” Slug trails off, flipping through the instruction manual with his eyes squinted in frustration. He never notices White Hat watching him from across the room, concerned by the fact that he’s struggling. It’s unclear if it’s a headspace or eye sight issue. “I need a… the red one from earlier.”

Flug chuckles, handing the piece from earlier to his brother. “Told ya we’d need it.” He says, smirking deviously with satisfaction.

Slug scowls, rolling his eyes. “Shut up.” He orders, clicking the piece into place on the large race car they’re building.

“Sam, don’t tell your brother to shut up,” White Hat warns from across the room, seated across from Black Hat in his own armchair. “You know better than that.”

Again, Slug pulls a face, not that his father can see it. Thankfully, Flug tries to defuse the situation before anyone can get in trouble. “So, uh… what were we talkin’ ‘bout again?” He asks, all while he subtly assists in building the Lego set; Slug assigned him to just handing him pieces, but he’ll sneak on a few blocks if he can get away with it.

“Oh, um… _right,”_ Slug sighs, not quite meeting Flug’s eyes. “Yeah, uh, mom is… mom’s in prison.”

“Wait, mom’s in _jail?_ How? When?” Flug is, of course, floored by the news, so much so that he sets the pieces he was holding back down on the floor.

“Oh yeah, I guess… I guess you’ve been kinda secluded here. Plus you’ve been out of the loop with hero politics, so I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t know,” Slug stops building as well, focusing instead on properly explaining everything to his brother. “A month or so after we ran away, I managed to get my evidence to a pretty prominent villain,” He catches sight of Flug looking towards Black Hat, who just gives him a wide-mouthed grin when they lock eyes. Slug is quick to wave Flug’s attention back to him, attempting to correct the mistake. “No, not your dad; the villain is a woman. She helped me get the evidence to a more legit police force, and they got mom and a ton of bad superheroes put behind bars. Mom’s serving a pretty lengthy sentence… I think it’s _forty_ years? Something like that.”

“God…” Flug trails off, unsure how to feel. “I mean, I’m glad she’s in jail, but… I guess I never thought it was _possible,_ ya know? Seemed like she could get away with _anything_ when we were kids, so I always thought she was immune to getting caught.”

“So did she, but now she’s exactly where she belongs. She’ll never hurt anyone else again…” Slug looks down as he speaks, almost remorseful. After all, he still loves his mother, despite all she’s done, and it’s hard to imagine her being incarcerated. While looking down at his lap, he catches sight of Flug messing with his cellphone. “What’re you doing? Looking her up?”

“Yeah,” Flug nods, allowing Slug to look at his phone screen as he surfs the internet, soon landing on a full article covering the case. He reads it quickly, finishing within a few minutes, despite it being a rather lengthy article.  “I didn’t realize she was in trouble for so much stuff… _kidnapping!?_ Since when?” He’s leans away from his phone in shock, bug eyed when he looks to Slug for some sort of explanation.

Slug laughs outright, smiling at some sort of memory, although the look on his face isn’t entirely entertained. “You don’t remember that? Well, you were five at the time, so I guess not… plus I didn’t even know what had happened until I was a teenager; she helped a crooked cape kidnap some district attorney when we were kids and held him in our basement for them. Hell, she even made the guy babysit us while he was imprisoned! It was _insane.”  
_

Flug just _blinks,_ utterly horrified. “That’s… okay, _wow,”_ He sits back, setting his phone aside as he tries to wrap his head around it all. “Hard to believe I share a name with her after she pulled something like that… I mean, I’ve done _way worse_ than kidnapping, but who makes their hostage watch their _kids!?_ I swear, some villains don’t have any morals,” When Slug doesn’t respond right away, Flug raises an eyebrow at his brother, curious. “Uh, bro? What’s up?”

Slug makes a concerned face, appearing… _surprised?_ “Wait, you haven’t changed your name yet?” The hero asks, sounding unconvinced.

“Um… _yeah?”_ Flug doesn’t seem happy about it either, but he isn’t nearly as awestruck as his older brother. “I’ve been so busy since I started working for jefe, I didn’t think to get it done. Besides, I’m referred to as _‘Flug Slys’_ on all my documentation here, so I never thought it mattered.”

“It does to _me!”_ Slug doesn’t quite yell, but it’s close. “Flug, you can’t just use your villain name for the rest of your life! What happens if you wanna retire, or do other things? You’re gonna end up with your criminal record following you for the rest of your life!"

“What’s all this about retiring? You’re not trying to recruit mi hijo again, are you, chucho?” Black Hat’s quick to stand over the two boys, suddenly very interested in the conversation.

The two human brothers yelp, jumping away in surprise. “Jesus, would it kill ya to give us some privacy!?” Slug glares daggers at Black Hat, furious at having been startled. He glances around the room, trying to see if his father is anywhere nearby, but he’s left the room, leaving Slug by himself with the villains. Still, even if White Hat isn’t here right at this second, his son isn’t taking any chances. He’d rather not get in trouble for cussing out his makeshift _‘uncle’_ over something so stupid, anyways. “And no, I’m not trying to bring Flug home; I’m just upset that he doesn’t have an actual name!” He states, glaring at Flug.

“Flug Slys is perfectly fine!” Now Flug’s the one that’s irritated, though he refrains from punching his brother like he wants to; lord knows his padre won’t take it very well.

“Enough of that!” Black Hat snaps, done hearing the boys’ continue their argument. “I’ve no idea why you two feel the need to pester each other, but it ends now! What do you even _mean_ by _‘real name’,_ chucho?”

Slug rolls his eyes, annoyed that he has to explain himself. “We’re talking about legal names, genius. You know how my name is Samuel Hatson, but I go by Slug Flys most of the time? And how most heroes and villains do the same thing? Well, Flug only has _one_ name he goes by, and if he ever needs to be a civilian for whatever reason, he doesn’t have an identity to fall back on.”

Although Slug’s explanation certainly cleared up a few things, Black Hat still appears a tad confused. “I see… but if you are brothers, then why does he not have a second name already? Did your so-called parents go so far as to not name you?”

Flug immediately ducks his head in shame, not quite meeting his boss’s gaze, for fear of revealing how upsetting the topic is. “Well, um, y-you see…” He trails off, before forcing himself to finish, if only so the awkwardness will end. “M-My second name legally is quite, uh… f-feminine. And I don’t feel c-comfort using it anymore.”

Dawning realization hits Black Hat like a speeding truck, the demon quick to apologize, rubbing Flug’s shoulder in search of forgiveness. “My apologizes, doctor… I had no idea.”

“I-It’s fine,” Flug assures, hating to make his padre uncomfortable, but hating the tension even more. “L-Like I said, it doesn’t b-bother me to only be, uh, Flug Slys.”

“Gonna make your life ten times harder, though.” Slug points out, crossing his arms in defiance. He isn’t nearly as quick to change the subject, intent on getting Flug to see things his way.

“Can we just, like, drop it?” Flug practically begs, continuing to not make eye contact. Offhandedly, he fiddles with the Legos, hoping it will convince everyone to stop talking.

Black Hat nods, giving Slug a warning look, not at all amused by his behavior. “Of course, mi hijo… and sobrino, your padre and I are finished with our meeting. He’s waiting for you downstairs.”

Slug scowls at the villain, though he still stands, hands balled into fists. “… _Fine,”_ He says, then gives his younger brother an apologetic glance. “Look, Flug, I didn’t mean to upset you… just _please_ think about it? You deserve to have a life outside of this someday.” With that, he leaves the den, nearly forgetting to grab his backpack on the way out.

Once his brother is gone, Flug sighs, finally meeting Black Hat’s gaze. “… Do _you_ think I need another name, papá?” He questions, almost ashamed to ask.

Black Hat offers him a small smirk, ruffling the top of his employee’s bag. “It’s something you should at least consider, hijo; not all of us are allowed the luxury of a secret identity.”

“I know, but… I don’t even know what I’d _pick!_ I know Sammy uses that fake last name that White Hat gave him, but I don’t even have a _first name!”_ Flug explains, legitimately troubled. In all honesty, he’s considered changing his legal name for years, but nothing ever sounded quite right to him… besides, he likes being called Flug.

“Oh? Is that all?” Black Hat asks, and after earning a nod, he grins devilishly at his offspring, as if he has a wicked idea. “Then perhaps I should name you, mi hijo. What do you think about that?”

Flug looks away, cleaning up the Legos to act as a distraction, a scarlet blush overtaking his face underneath his mask. “Y-You don’t have to do that, jefe, really! I don’t want to trouble you!” He says, refusing to look up.

Black Hat just laughs, shaking his head. He claps his hands, and all of a sudden, the Legos are all cleaned up, neatly tucked into the box they came in, the unfinished creation set on top of the container as a display. The demon then helps Flug to his feet, maneuvering him towards the door. “How about you go spend some time in the lab for awhile, doctor?” He orders more than suggests, and although Flug can’t get a good enough angle to see his face, he knows the villain is smirking. “I’ve some things to go over, and I needn’t a little one underfoot while I work…”

“But, jefe-” Flug tries to stop him, but the door shuts the minute he’s pushed to stand in the hallway, leaving the young scientist to stare at it in disbelief. “What is he up to? Could he be planning to… no, he’d _never._ Come on, Flug, be reasonable,” He shakes his head, scolding himself for even _considering_ such a thing. “N-No way jefe would want to _adopt me,_ that’s just… just _stupid._ I need to stop getting my hopes up for things that aren’t going to happen.” And although Flug follows his boss’s orders and goes to his laboratory, the thought never quite goes away, leaving Flug restless for the rest of the night.

…

The next morning, all is quiet, and not in a way anyone in the house is accustomed to. It’s unsettling, to say the least. Flug goes about his day as well as he can, sticking to his schedule. As usual, he wakes up first, wakes everyone else up- save for Black Hat of course, as he doesn’t have a death wish- helps 505 cook breakfast, gets 505 started on his chores, directs Demencia towards something he needs destroyed, and finally, he enters the laboratory for the day. Flug let’s out a lengthy yawn the minute he’s alone, exhausted despite having gone to bed at a reasonable time; he blames the depression. The scientist immediately gets to work on his latest invention- a gun that can launch miniature nukes without being too clunky for less physically adept villains- so busy with his work that he hardly notices how fast the time goes by.

At exactly four in the afternoon, an alarm goes off, causing Flug to jerk to attention, forced out of his fixation by the loud noise. He feverishly looks around, unable to find the source of the annoying siren. He can’t get anything done under these conditions! Although Flug _really_ doesn’t want to abandon his work until it’s finished, he dutifully sets the gun frame back on his desk, getting up to begin searching for the source of his annoyance. He quickly discovers that it must be coming from upstairs, so Flug follows it up there, becoming more confused when it doesn’t seem to be coming from anywhere on the main floor either. What is going _on!?_ Unable to find Demencia or 505 for help, Flug hurries upstairs, hoping the noise is coming from up there.

 _It is!_ Looking down the hallway to his left, Flug catches sight of an old fashioned alarm clock on the floor, blaring out the single most grating alarm sound he’s ever heard, sounding almost akin to a fire alarm. “Jesucristo, is _that_ what’s making this racket!?” Flug asks aloud, walking towards the infernal contraption. However, just as he gets within a few feet of it, it moves backwards by a few feet. It’s then that Flug notices that it’s connected to a string. “What the… _Demencia?_ Are _you_ doing this? Come on, Demencia, this is giving me a headache!” He yells, assuming this is just another one of her stupid pranks. Nonetheless, he continues to follow the clock, as he knows his teammate will only stop if she gets a big enough reaction.

At the very least, Flug doesn’t have to follow it very far, as he soon sees it disappear through the open door of… _Black Hat’s office!?_ Oh God, is Demencia trying to get him in trouble again? Flug sure as hell hopes not; he’s not even _close_ to done with the nuke launcher, and he’d much rather not have to try working on it with a sore backside. Absentmindedly, the scientist wonders what he’s done to cause Demencia to try and mess with him. He hasn’t cleaned out the fridge in a few weeks, so it can’t be anything that involves the garbage she calls _‘snacks’…_ is she mad about being woken up or something? She must be in a _really_ bad mood then. Sighing, Flug follows the clock into Black Hat’s office, just wanting to get this over with. The faster he defuses this mess, the faster he can get back to work.

Except… Demencia isn’t in here. How _odd._ Even more unsettling is that the alarm has stopped, but the clock is nowhere to be found. Flug steps further into the office, looking around for his coworker, only to find the office completely empty. Where is she? More importantly, where is _Black Hat?_ Flug gulps, suddenly very uncomfortable. Is he actually in trouble with _jefe?_ He isn’t sure what he did to deserve a punishment, other than his minor disagreement with Slug last night, but that didn’t even get physical! Just as Flug prepares to leave- he figures he'll just hide out in his room until his coworkers start making sense- the doors slam shut behind him. The scientist flinches in fear, but before he can turn around and look to see who shut them, an invisible force pushes him backwards.

Amazingly enough, Flug doesn’t fall to the floor. In fact, he lands in a chair- one he’s pretty sure wasn’t there a few minutes ago- which comes alive on impact, running him to be seated in front of Black Hat’s desk. As if this weren’t all terrifying enough, a cloud of thick, black smoke begins to emit from Black Hat’s armchair, and wouldn’t you know it, the lord of villainy himself appears a few seconds later, manifesting into his usual form in his chair. The demon smirks at Flug in the most wicked of fashions… Flug gulps, unnerved. What is his boss _planning?_ Sure, Flug has known Black Hat to be dramatic, but it’s almost _always_ for a reason… so why is he doing this? To be funny? Is he mad? Flug’s so confused.

“Good afternoon, doctor,” Black Hat doesn’t _sound_ mad, thank God, but his words still do nothing to calm Flug’s nerves. “How are you? Are you well? You’ve been holed up in that lab for so long today, I was beginning to worry.”

“Um…” Flug has… _no words._ He’s too afraid to speak.

Black Hat, at the very least, takes note of this, and doesn’t press for an answer. “Forgive me for the dramatics, hijo. I only intend to make this moment… _memorable?_ It doesn’t really matter; what matters is that we’re alone now, so we may discuss an issue I find rather… _pressing.”_

Flug dry swallows, refusing to make eye contact with his boss. “I, um… I d-don’t understand w-what’s happening, jefe.” He admits, not sure what else to say.

Black Hat shrugs nonchalantly, pulling out a folder from his desk. “We need to discuss your name,” He says, but makes a worried expression when he sees Flug go ghastly pale. “You needn’t worry, mi hijo; I will not repeat your undesired name. No, I would rather discuss what we shall change it to.”

Flug sighs with relief, although he’s still obviously very nervous. “Oh, okay, th-that’s… jefe, I appreciate what you’re t-trying to do, but I… I really don’t _need_ another name.”

“And _that’s_ where you’re wrong,” Black Hat is all business, flipping through the file. At the speed of light, he’s tossing out other villains’ files, which appear to hold personal information on all of them; names, addresses, social security numbers, physical traits, they’re all there. “Do you see all of these people, hijo?” The demon asks his scientist. After receiving a nod, he continues. “Do you know what all of these villains have in common? No? Well, they have secret identities; they have lives outside of this. Should anything happen to me, or the organization, it may be necessary for you to go into hiding, and that cannot be possible if you do not have an identity waiting for you.”

“I could j-just _steal_ an identity!” Flug insists. He understands where Black Hat is coming from, but he doesn’t agree _at all._ “Jefe, I just… I don’t _want_ to be anyone else! I’m _Flug Slys!_ And I’m… I’m _happy_ with that. I don’t want to be anyone else other than this.”

“Mi amado hijo,” Black Hat’s voice is so _soft_ when he speaks… Flug feels his body relax at the sound of his padre’s tone, soothed by the gentle sound. “I know that you love this life- it’s what makes you such an amazing employee- but you know that things can and _will_ go wrong, seeing how this business is. Despite all my power and resources, something may very well attempt to ruin this, and I may not be capable of stopping it. Should you be able to escape… you need to _hide._ Save your strength. You _can’t_ do that as Flug Slys.”

Flug feels tears building up in his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall. “But… _jefe…”_ He can’t come up with a good argument.

Black Hat stays gentle, much to Flug’s relief. He was half scared that Black Hat would punish him for rejecting his orders, but the villain stays surprisingly calm. “When we change your name, you are under _no_ obligation to go by it in the house,” Black Hat assures, all while reaching across the desk to rub Flug’s glove covered hands between his own, trying to keep physical contact with his offspring. “If you so desire, it’s only purpose shall be for when you are on vacation or attending formal events.”

“Wait… f-formal events?” Flug questions, secretly beginning to turn on to the idea of a secondary name. So long as he still gets to be Flug Slys, he think he can maybe handle it, but… what’s all this about _formality?  
_

Just like that, the somberness seems to melt away, and Black Hat starts grinning again, right back to being excited. “Oh? You don’t know?” He pulls out the last document from the folder, showing it to Flug. “After your name change… let’s just say our clients will begin seeing you in an _entirely_ different light; or rather, darkness may be the better phrase.”

Despite everything leading up to this, Flug is still awestruck by what’s presented to him. In no uncertain terms, it’s an adoption form. More accurately, it’s an adoption form for _him._ The only things missing are his new name, signature, and a stamp of approval from a certified judge. Never mind the fact that Flug has no idea how Black Hat managed to get his hands on an adoption form; he’s more confused by what it _implies._ Actually, no, there is no _‘imply’_ in this situation. Black Hat is, without a doubt, offering to legally adopt Flug… okay, probably not _‘legally’,_ but it’s the thought that counts! And yet… Flug feels _unsure._ Yes, Black Hat has been acting like a dad to him for over a month now, but… does he really want to take it _this far?_

“Jefe…” Flug trails off. When Black Hat doesn’t interrupt him like he feared, the scientist tries again. “Papi… you don’t _have_ to do this.” He locks eyes with the older villain without meaning to, not realizing he’s begun to soul gaze until it’s too late.

Needless to say, Flug is like a fish out of water with the experience, not that Black Hat seems to be doing any better, as his eyes begin to water right away. Despite the pain in his irises once the soul gaze begins, Flug doesn’t let it deter him, feverishly searching for the things he’s scared Black Hat’s felt towards him for years now; disgust, anger, hatred… but he can’t _find them._ No matter how hard Flug looks, he can’t see any of those things in his padre’s eyes. Instead, he sees… he sees _affection._ Protectiveness. Warmth. _Love._ All at once, Flug is hit with the realization that Slug was telling the truth. To be fair, he didn’t really _doubt_ his brother, he just… he just couldn’t _comprehend_ such a thing to be true. After all, no one has ever loved him like that, save perhaps for Slug, but this love is different. It’s more… _intense.  
_

The soul gaze breaks. Immediately, both men are reeling, with Flug rubbing incessantly under his mask at his eyes to rid them of the burning sensation, while Black Hat’s hissing under his breath, using his coat sleeve to dab at his eyes. It’s a few more minutes before either one of them speaks, too shocked by what they saw to say much at first. “Now do you… do you _understand?”_ Black Hat legitimately pants like an exhausted dog, still unused to that element of his powers.

Flug sighs. _Deeply._ With the gentleness of a tired house cat, the young man looks up, cheeks red and ruddy from his crying. “… I think I do, papi,” He whispers, wanting to keep his voice down for fear of overstimulating himself; that soul gaze was already too much, he doesn’t need it to get worse. “I’m sorry for… for _everything._ With me. I know I’m not an… _ideal_ candidate for your adoption, but… if you still want me, I’ll let you do as you please.”

“There’s no one else I want,” Black Hat assures, tone stiff yet full of honesty. “Only you, mi hijo… only you.”

“Okay… okay, that’s… that’s gonna be hard to, uh… to comprehend,” Flug admits, feeling dizzy at the thought of this all being real. It feels like a dream, and he’s scared that any minute now, it could turn into a nightmare. “I, um… te amo, papi.”

“Yo también te quiero,” Black Hat says in return, a loose, tired smile on his face. Seems like the soul gaze took a lot out of him, too. “So then… it’s decided. Come, we best be off.” The demon stands from his armchair, heading towards the double doors of his office.

“Wait, right now?” Flug questions, baffled by how fast they’re going. “It’s p-past business hours, papá. I d-doubt we can get it done this, um… this l-late.”

Black Hat flashes Flug a wicked grin, snapping his fingers to open the doors. “We’re not going to a regular judge, mi querido hijo,” He explains, clearly proud of himself. “You see, I have a friend who may be of some… _assistance._ Come along.”

And although Flug is still reeling- over the soul gaze, the adoption papers, the fact that his boss somehow doesn’t want to kill him despite Flug believing that he’s worse less than dirt- he gets up and follows his padre, unwilling to refuse the being whose given him everything.

…

Flug isn’t sure what he was expecting. Part of him thought they were just going to another villain’s hideout to forge some paperwork, or to an unnamed location to make a deal, not… not an average looking house. Well, it’s not _entirely_ inconspicuous, as it looks a lot like one of those _‘houses’_ in town that are actually law firms, but it still seems rather homey. Even more surprising is that it’s not just Black Hat and Flug that are here; there are a handful of cars parked outside, too many for them to not be owned by clients. Once Black Hat has the car parked, he leads Flug towards the building, keeping a death-grip on his hand. Usually, this would embarrass Flug, but considering how unsettling this all is, he can’t bring himself to mind the affectionate gesture.

“This is it,” Black Hat says, stopping a few feet away from the front door. He turns to Flug, his expression stern, although the scientist suspects it’s more out of concern than irritation. “Once inside, you are to stay by my side at all times, unless you are specifically instructed to sit elsewhere, understand? I’ve no doubt that there are people in there that would love to see you _‘misplaced’,_ especially once this becomes official.”

Flug nods, aware of how cutthroat the villain community is. From what he remembers of his time as a superhero’s lackey, the hero community is too, so Flug isn’t nearly as offended as most would expect him to be. “Yes, señor, I understand.” He assures, more than happy to stay near his padre.

Satisfied, Black Hat nods in return, finally leading Flug inside. Flug is immediately greeted by the sight of a sparsely filled waiting room, akin to the den back home, but with a bit more furniture. There’s a few fully costumed villains seated on the couches and chairs, while a handful of children- some of which appear to be related- are scattered about the room. One of the villains has one of the younger kids on his lap, the poor toddler out cold, while the others are playing with toys on the floor. Flug smiles at the sight, waving to the group of children, some of which wave back, grinning excitedly. Unfortunately, the calm atmosphere quickly dissipates, all the present villains looking surprised to see Black Hat here.

No one moves. No one speaks. Slowly, Black Hat leads Flug to one of the loveseats, though it’s occupied. That isn’t an issue for long, for as soon as the occupants notice Black Hat heading towards them, they practically _leap_ off the couch, offering it to the lord of villainy. The demon smirks, having Flug sit first before he plops down beside the scientist, a vicious, comfortable smile on his face. At this point, even the children have gone quiet, their eyes locked onto Black Hat. Offhandedly, Flug wonders if these kids even _know_ who Black Hat _is._ They probably do, considering that at least one of their parents is most certainly a villain. After far too long, with no sign of Black Hat acting up anytime soon, everyone quietly goes back to what they were doing.

One brave soul- the villain cradling the toddler- gets up and purposefully sits in the chair nearest to Black Hat, the burly man giving the demon a warm smile. “Good evening, my lord,” The villain greets, voice so husky it could pull a sled. “And what brings you here?”

Black Hat, surprisingly enough, chuckles. This catches Flug off-guard, as he had expected his boss to be hostile, but it seems he knows this courageous fellow. “I’m well, Bogdan. I’m here on personal business tonight.”

“Personal business? Either the world is ending, or you’re in a good mood,” Bogdan laughs in turn, his humor similar to his friend’s. He shifts in his seat somewhat, giving Black Hat a good look at his toddler. “This is Dacey,” He says, waving the unconscious child’s hand at the older villain. “I’m here to have his adoption papers certified.”

“Another one? Bogdan, you sly dog, this is the seventh one you’ve taken in! Where did you get this one from?” Black Hat is completely chill with the situation, even waving back at the sleeping boy.

“He’s the eighth, actually,” Bogdan corrects, almost proud of himself for having so many children. “His mother was a superhero… and unfortunately, she was also a single mother. Poor thing was homeless after I quieted his dear mum. And, well, you know me… such a soft spot for little ones. Even better is the fact that his mum had superpowers, and I’ve no doubt he’ll have them once he’s older.”

“How convenient. What abilities do you imagine he’ll have?” As he asks this, Black Hat sets a hand on Flug’s shoulder, reminding him that he’s not so distracted that he’d forget about him.

“Shape-shifting,” Bogdan states, not bothering to elaborate; the name speaks for itself. Suddenly, he raises an eyebrow at the hand on Flug’s shoulder, then at Flug himself, who can’t help but squirm nervously under his stare. “Forgive me for not addressing you earlier, my boy,” He says, holding out a hand to the scientist. “And who might you be?”

“I’m, uh…” Flug looks to Black Hat, afraid to say anything without permission. After receiving an encouraging nod, he swallows, continuing to speak. “M-My name is, uh, D-Dr. Flug Slys, señor,” He explains, taking Bogdan’s hand and shaking it. Internally, he’s mystified by how massive the guy’s hands are; he sincerely hopes this guy doesn’t believe in spanking like his padre does. “I w-work for Lord Black Hat as the l-lead scientist of his s-science division.”

Bogdan has such a disarmingly kind smile… it makes Flug wonder how he got into the villain business. “Such a well mannered young man!” Bogdan praises, aiming his grin at Black Hat. “And why have you brought him in today, my lord? Something to do with that _‘personal business’_ you mentioned?”

Black Hat shrugs nonchalantly, although his grip on Flug tightens, aware of how many people are now watching. Still, it’ll be official soon enough… may as well let the world know what they’re dealing with. “I’ve brought mi hijo in tonight in order to adopt him, my friend.” He remains entirely level as he speaks, attempting to keep things casual.

The silence is _deafening._ The rest of the villains in the waiting room- who have all clearly been eavesdropping- exchange looks among themselves, soon beginning to whisper in hushed tones, as if that will actually keep Black Hat and Flug from overhearing.

“Lord Black Hat is adopting a child? I thought he _hated_ kids.”

“He _does,_ you fool! Besides, that’s no child; smells at least eighteen, even if his soul seems younger than expected.”

“The boy is so _tiny_ though, why would Black Hat waste his time on such a _pathetic_ little thing?”

“Perhaps the man in question has abilities? That bag on his head is certainly something to consider…”

Flug ducks his head in shame, overwhelmed by all of the people staring so unabashedly at him and his padre. He’s beginning to regret coming here. Just as he considers getting up and running- he doesn’t even _care_ if Black Hat will likely spank him for it- a door along the wall opens. Everyone looks up right away, finding a tall, heavyset man in the doorway, his expression harsh and unyielding. “No harassment in the waiting room,” He growls in the most _‘no nonsense’_ tone Flug has ever heard. “Lord Black Hat? Miss Lucy is ready to see you now. We thank you again for scheduling a reservation with us.”

Bogdan gives Black Hat a small smile, almost apologetic. “Good luck in there, old friend,” He says, before turning his encouraging smile on Flug. “And good luck to you as well, son… don’t you worry; you’re in very good- or perhaps I should say evil- hands.”

Flug just nods, too nervous to respond. Black Hat doesn’t respond either, swiftly standing up and dragging Flug out of the waiting room, which the boy honestly appreciates; he doesn’t think he would’ve lasted much longer in there. The large security guard from before leads the two villains down a long, cascading hallway, the walls lined with beautiful paintings, much like the hallways back home, although these seem to all be by the same artist. Once they’ve reached the end of the hallway, the guard opens a door, and gestures for them to go inside. Black Hat leads the way, dragging Flug in behind him. Inside, the office is quite small, yet comfortable. There are two chairs on one side of a desk, and on the other side sits a large, gangly woman, who Flug assumes is Miss Lucy. While her clothing is neat and prim, her body language is that of a predator, making him uneasy.

“So nice to see you again, Black Hat,” The woman greets, giving her clients a toothy grin. To Flug’s surprise, her teeth are all pointed, looking sharper than knives. “And what brings you in today?”

“An adoption,” Black Hat explains, sitting down in one of the empty seats. Flug sits right beside him, struggling to not squirm. Thankfully, the demon keeps talking, moving the conversation along. “You see, over the last two years, I’ve had Dr. Flug here working with my organization; he even assisted in getting it up and running! He’s done incredible things for me, and over time, feelings began to form. At first, I was unsure of what they meant, however, I soon came to realize that I felt- and please, forgive me for being so soft- _attached_ to him. Now I wish to adopt this man, as well as change his first name, last name, and gender marker, as all are incorrect at the present time.”

Lucy hums, tilting her head as she looks Flug over. “Hm… now _that’s_ something I ever expected from _you,_ Black Hat. From Bogs, sure, but not from _you_ of all villains! And here I thought you were a loner… oh well! Better to surround yourself with people than become an island, right? But onto business… this will be over very quickly, as they’re all relatively easy adjustments to make. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, considering the fact that your new son seems to be an adult, so we won’t have to worry about child protection services trying to get ahold of him,” She suddenly looks closer at Flug, a bit hesitant. “Um… you _are_ an adult, right?”

“Y-Yes, señora.” Flug says, nodding in confirmation. He feels so weird in here, like he’s in the principal’s office of his old high school.

Lucy laughs outright, grinning at Black Hat. “He’s a jumpy one, isn’t he? Never expected him to be your type, but considering your dear brother… yeah, okay, I can see it now,” She takes out a piece of chalk, writing symbols on her desk, which Flug now recognizes to resemble a chalkboard. Once the symbol has been completed, she chants under her breath, and in a puff of red smoke, a small stack of papers appear on the desk. “Now then, I’ll just need you to begin filling these out. You know me, Black Hat; I love to keep a record on everything and everyone,” She looks to Flug, appearing amused. “While your new daddy fills out all this dumb paperwork, how about you tell me what your new name is gonna be, lil’ guy?”

Flug stiffens, frozen like a deer in the headlights. “Oh, um, uh…” He trails off, glancing at Black Hat, who has already begun to hurry through the paperwork. “My p-padre is a-actually gonna… b-be the one who, um, n-names me, señora.”

Lucy _lights up,_ clearly not having expected that. “Is that _so?_ I only hope Black Hat here isn’t planning on giving you a stupid name,” She doesn’t actually sound that worried; she’s probably more accustomed to dealing with young children for these sorts of things, so she’s just excited to have fun with an older set of clients. “Ey, daddy,” Lucy turns to Black Hat, quick to recognize that questioning Flug won’t get her anywhere. “What’re you planning on naming your son? Better not be Black Jr.”

Black Hat chuckles at the thought, shaking his head. “Always a jokester, Lucy,” He mutters, still working away on the paperwork, but it’s so mindless and boring that he can manage to talk while he goes through it. “No, nothing like that. I’m thinking something… _professional._ Maybe Adriano? Or perhaps Rome?”

Flug blushes, looking away. “Maybe not _those…”_ He _really_ doesn’t like the sound of those ones. He may not be planning on using his new name very often, but he doesn’t want it to be something he’d hate or resent! “Maybe a _‘K’_ name? I always thought Keith was sorta cool, if not a bit short.”

“Absolutely _not that,”_ Black Hat rolls his eyes, unimpressed with Flug’s suggestion. “You need something _sturdy,_ capable of being shortened as well, as I’m sure Demencia would _love_ to call you by a nickname…” He pauses, an idea coming to him, like a light bulb turning on above his head. “How about… _Kenning?”_

Flug stops, thinking about it. That sounds… _fitting._ Like coming home. Flug never actually considered it, having not known it was an option, but now that it’s a possibility, he doesn’t think he’d mind being called Ken or Kenny. Plus, doesn’t Kenning Flugslys mean something in Icelandic? He can’t translate it yet in his head, but Flug knows Black Hat well enough to not give him something that’s embarrassing or rude, especially since his name will soon be associated with the lord of villainy himself. At that, Flug feels himself blushing again, aware that this is _really happening._ He’s getting _adopted._ More accurately, he’s getting adopted by _Black Hat,_ and he’s even getting a new name to boot, not to mention getting his gender marker corrected!

“Flug?” Black Hat’s voice breaks Flug out of his daydreaming. It looks like he’s finished the paperwork; all that’s missing is Flug’s signature and his new name. “Is that the name you want? Would you like to be called Kenning?”

Slowly, Flug nods, a small smile appearing on his face underneath his mask. “… Yes, papá,” He agrees, tone soft, but not quite as nervous anymore. “I… I think I would really, _really_ like that.”

“Then it’s official!” Lucy says, grinning with that unnerving shark smile of hers. “Congratulations, you two! Black Hat, you are now the legal guardian of-” She picks up the paperwork after Flug’s signed it as well, reading over the name so she doesn’t mess up. “-Kenning Adriano Hatson!”

“Just couldn’t let Adriano go, huh?” Flug asks, laughing when Black Hat rolls his eyes at him.

“Hush, hijo. It’s fine if it’s just your middle name. Besides, it means _‘dark’,_ so how could I _not_ use it for my only niño?” Although he didn’t get to choose the name he liked the most, Black Hat still seems pleased. If anything, he looks happier than Flug’s ever seen him!

“That should be everything, Lord Black Hat,” Lucy says, momentarily interrupting the conversation to finish the transaction. “I’ll send copies of your son’s documentation by the end of the week. However, from this moment on, he is still legally your child. Should you wish to make any further changes to his documentation, please do not hesitate to call me, and we’ll set up another appointment,” She waves at Flug, her smile genuinely warm and kind; she seems just as excited as him! “I sincerely hope all goes well for you two… I’ve no idea how our fellow villains will react, but knowing you, Black Hat, it doesn’t matter what they think; you’re still the king, after all.”

Black Hat nods in agreement, standing up. He glances at Flug, his expression contemplative, as the weight of what’s just occurred begins to finally sink in. The scientist he hired just over a year ago… that’s his _son_ now! Flug can only imagine that it’s jarring, to say the least. “Well, mi hijo?” Black Hat asks, a devilish grin overtaking his face. He looks so excited… it makes a majority of the remaining doubt wash away. “Let’s not keep them waiting.” He holds out a hand to Flug, expectant.

Flug doesn’t refrain from grinning underneath his mask, grabbing ahold of Black Hat’s hand. “Yes, papá… I’m right behind you.” He promises. It doesn’t matter what happens next… Flug finally belongs to someone who loves him, and that, above all else, is enough to convince this depressed, age-sliding scientist that there is, indeed, something to look forward to.

**Author's Note:**

> Eyyyy, it’s finally here! I hope you’ll all enjoy this latest installment to the series! ((BTW: Kenning flugslys means “theory of aviation accidents” in Icelandic)) So what next, y’all? Feel free to vote in the comments!
> 
> Title: who said YOU were in charge?  
> Description: Out of nowhere, Black Hat is called out of town for a villain meeting. To make matters worse, Flug is deep in headspace, and White Hat can't watch him. Thankfully- or perhaps not, at least for Flug- Demencia is more than willing to watch her “baby brother”! Let’s just hope they don’t burn the house down!
> 
> Title: twice as embarrassing as your senior prom  
> Description: Seeing as Black Hat is the “lord of villainy”, he’s oftentimes invited to parties by other villains. He typically declines their offers- too pompous and annoying for his tastes- but the theme of one catches his eye… it’s a good thing Flug is well versed in fancy parties!
> 
> Title: heroic family values  
> Description: Now that we’ve seen what life is like for the Villainous family, what’s it like for the Heroic one? The kid might be ten times angrier, and they might get into a different brand of trouble, but at its core, they’re just as much family as the Villainous crew… just keep an eye on the kid and his bear!
> 
> Title: taming a stray  
> Description: After announcing his retirement, White Hat plans to live out the rest of his days in peace… that is, until local law enforcement are on his doorstep, begging him to help rehabilitate a juvenile villain. It’s been a long time since White Hat’s been gentle with a criminal- okay, he’s never been all that gentle with them- but he’s determined to atone for his sins through ‘fixing’ this young villain in the making. But is love enough to turn Slug Flys’ life around?
> 
> Title: this is not a hotel, but okay, you can come in  
> Description: How Black Hat came to acquire the three loyal companions who have taken residence in his mansion. Not all of them sought him out to be criminal masterminds, but sometimes, even the most willful souls can’t refuse a warm meal alongside good company, especially when their lives were terrible beforehand.


End file.
